Cowabunga! Aquatics
Year-Round Child and Adolescent Swim Program
"Just keep swimming!  Just keep swimming!  Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.  What do we do we swim!"
~Doree, Finding Nemo
 
AFTER!
BEFORE
 
Focus
Our swim lessons are FUN! yet extremely useful as your child will learn to backfloat and possibly prevent a death and/or learn their strokes to prep them or
further them along in their swimming careers.   Our swimmers include infants through "Olympic Hopefuls". Information delivered during lessons is
designed specifically for your child.  There is no set schedule for achievement, except to feel comfortable and to learn to be safe and love the water. Each
child is unique and learns in different ways. As a result, your child will improve their swimming by learning proper efficiency, technique and survival
essentials.

Child & Adolescent Lesson Information
  • Lesson Format: Lessons are taught in a one-on-one format in half hour increments.  Typically, children 8 years of age and under require 10
    lessons to fully grasp the tasks at hand.  Children ages 9 and older require 5 lessons.
  • Lesson Content: Depending on age and goals, our Cowabunga! swimmers will learn their floats and possibly competitive freestyle, backstroke,
    breaststroke of butterfly.
  • Child Safety Class: If desired, one or two days of a child’s session may be devoted to child safety around the pool.  I will show the students how to
    fall into the pool with their clothes on (swimsuits underneath!) and how to remove their clothes to use them as floating devices. They love it!

Infant Lesson Information
Children as young as one year can be taught to swim, rotate onto a float to rest and breathe and flip back over from a backfloat to continue swimming.
Babies as young as 6 months old can save themselves from a fall into the water. Infants 6-12 months old are taught to rotate from a face-down position in
the water to a backfloat to rest and breathe.

Most 6 month olds evidence the strength, stamina and coordination that can enable them to crawl into the pool area and fall into the water. Given this
degree of development, even a 6-month old is capable of saving himself. Therefore, our goal for this age group is to teach the baby to roll over onto his
back to float, rest and breathe when faced with an aquatic situation. The first skill each young infant will learn is how to hold his breath while underwater.
The focus of these lessons is survival by floating. Since research shows that 86% of the infants and young children who drown every year in the United
States drown while fully clothed, a safe progression towards floating fully clothed is also included in the curriculum. It must be stressed here that your infant
will NEVER be thrown into the water. In addition, your baby will never be presented with a learning situation in the water unless he has a high probability of
success at the task. The duration of lessons (at 5 lessons per week) to accomplish this goal should take no more than 3 weeks.
  • Method-Each lesson is one-on-one with the instructor and each lesson is individualized for each child's needs and abilities. Because consistency
    and repetition are important for infants and young children, each student attends lessons 5 times per week for approximately 10-30 minutes per
    lesson. Research shows that children learn better in more frequent yet shorter increments. We want to ensure that your child will be able to focus
    on the task at hand and retain that knowledge. These short lessons are one of the reasons that our students are able to perform independently after
    only 2-3 weeks. Our goal is to provide the most efficient lessons possible.
  • BUDS Sheet-Each lesson will honor the unique physiology of the student. Therefore, instructors ask parents to complete the BUDS sheet so that we
    may monitor bowel, urine diet and sleep. This information provides the instructor with possible interferences that may affect lessons. In addition,
    this information allows the instructor to monitor for Hyponatremia also known as water intoxication. The BUDS sheet allows us to monitor water
    output.
  • Food & Water: Body and Mind Solutions asks that parents do not feed the student for 1½ hours prior to lessons. No one works well on a full
    stomach and children are no different.
  • 7 Second Rule: No child will ever go more than seven seconds without a breath. The American Academy of Pediatrics rule is 21 seconds. Since
    instructors adhere to a rule that is one third of that, we know our children will not be in any danger.
  • Monitoring Fatigue: BAM monitors students for temperature fatigue. This is a preindicator of physical fatigue. This allows the instructor to know how
    to proceed throughout the course of the lesson.
  • Hand Out After Lesson: At the conclusion of the lesson, the instructor will lay the child on their towels on their left side. This will allow the child to
    rest for a few minutes and will also allow for any air that was swallowed to escape more easily. In addition, this allows the student's blood to flow
    more freely.
  • Drowning Prevention Article: Drowning is a leading cause of injury-related death in children. In 2000, more than 1,400 US children younger than 20
    years drowned. Please read this peer-reviewed medical article to learn more.  Click HERE.
  • Infant and Toddler Aquatic Program Article: Infant and toddler aquatic programs provide an opportunity to introduce young children to the joy and
    risks of being in or around water. Generally, children are not developmentally ready for swimming lessons until after their fourth birthday. Aquatic
    programs for infants and toddlers have not been shown to decrease the risk of drowning, and parents should not feel secure that their child is safe
    in water or safe from drowning after participating in such programs. Young children should receive constant, close supervision by an adult while in
    and around water. Please read this peer-reviewed medical article to learn more.  Click HERE.

Prevention and Safety
In Florida, Arizona, Texas and California drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for infants and young children under the age of 4 years. In the
United States, drowning is an epidemic for this age group. Body and Mind Solutions promotes three lines of defense to help stop this epidemic and protect
our children.
  1. Constant adult supervision in and around the water
  2. Maintaining a safer home pool environment
  3. Safe, effective survival swimming instruction for children as young as 6 months
Click HERE to learn more.
Dates & Testimonies
For Youth and Adolescent Swim Program testimonies, click here.  To get on our mailing list to receive a brochure
in order to register for lessons, click here.

  • June 25-29, Gilroy/San Jose, 9-7PM
  • July 2-6, Gilroy/San Jose, 9-7PM
  • July 9-13, Gilroy/San Jose, 2:30-7PM
  • July 16-20, Gilroy/San Jose, 9-2PM
  • July 23-27, Gilroy/San Jose, 9-7PM
  • July 30-August 3, Gilroy/San Jose, 9-7PM
  • August 6-10, Gilroy/San Jose, 2:30-7PM


Equipment
  • Goggles: I recommend all children use the Speedo Sprint goggle.  We’ve had most success with this goggle because the foam that molds around
    your child’s eyes prevents leakage. Please choose one of the tinted pair to protect your children’s eyes from the sun. Goggles are available at Big 5
    and Sportsmart.
  • Swim Caps: Girls must wear swim caps.  These are also available at Big 5 and Sportsmart or you can buy our team swim cap available on our
    "gear" page.

Rules and Regulations
  • Payments:  Payments must be paid for the first week booked within 1 week of booking the lessons to reserve your time otherwise, a $50 late fee
    will ensue in addition to being responsible for the time you have booked. Please e-mail us for the address to send your payment to. The
    remainder of all fees must be paid on the first day of the lessons once started.  These rules apply to new and returning families.
  • Fees & Release: All new and old swim families must sign the release available under forms on our RESOURCES page.
  1. New friends & families: $35 per half hour
  2. New friends & families-five or less lessons: $40 per half hour
  3. Old friends & families: $30 per half hour
  4. Old friends & families-five or less lessons: $35 per half hour
  • Refunds: Once having paid for the lessons, if a family decides to cancel lessons before lessons have begun or within the first week of lessons, the
    first week will not be refunded.   Same policy goes for the second week.
  • Arrival/Departure: Children are to enter the swim lesson area NO MORE than 5 minutes before their lessons start and are to leave NO MORE than
    5 minutes after their lessons are finished.  This is so we can have a quiet atmosphere not only for YOUR child but all others.
  • Bathroom Privileges: Children are to use the bathroom before leaving their home.  Bathroom privileges during/after lessons are for emergencies
    only.
  • Privileges: Parents are allowed to remain on the pool deck only if the child is being attentive.  Please explain to your child, that having you around
    during swim lessons is a privilege that can be taken away if he or she is not cooperating.  If I ask a parent to leave, she or he MUST LEAVE.  You
    may feel bad for "leaving" your child, but you aren't the first to feel this.  However, it is the most effective in the learning process as children often
    become distracted by their desire for help from mom or dad.
  • Talking: Encouragement is welcome, but please, No Yelling at your children from the pool deck.  
  • Tardiness: All children must be in the pool at his or her scheduled time.  It affects the learning process if a child is late as every minute in the water
    is important.  If you are five minutes late, then the lesson will be 25 minutes long.   
  • Re-scheduling: I am unable to re-schedule any lessons unless notified 48 hours before the scheduled lesson.
  • Disclosures: It is mandatory that parents disclose any and all physical, educational or psychological challenges, difficulties, and/or disorders.

Thank you again for your interest.  If you’d like further information, or to talk to parents who are familiar with our teaching, please call us at 408.406.4112 or
E-mail: info@bodyandmindsolutions.com.

~Cristin Reichmuth, M.A., M.S.T.C.

Resources
Clear Danger- A Study of Childhood Drownings and Related Attitudes and Behaviors - (April 2004) The link provided takes you to the complete study by the
National Safe Kids Campaign. It provides statistics about the problem, insight into the reasons for it and provides some recommendations for solutions.
Clear Danger - A Study of Childhood Drownings and Related Attitudes and Behaviors
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© Copyright 2007, Cristin Reichmuth, M.A.. Material provided on this web site is for educational and/or informational purposes only. This web site does not offer either online
services or medical advice. No therapeutic relationship is established by use of this site.
If you have comments or questions, please contact: info@bodyandmindsolutions.com.